Brush roller having a pivoted and rotatable clamping bail



Dec. 14, 1965 BQLINGER 3,223,094

BRUSH ROLLER HAVING A PIVOTED AND ROTATABLE CLAMPING BAIL Filed Oct. 17, 1962 INVENTOR. 650665 N051. BOL/NGEE.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,223,094 BRUSH ROLLER HAVING A PIVOTED AND ROTATABLE CLAMPING BAIL George Noel Bolinger, Shelbyville, Ill., assignor' to Sta- Rite Ginnie Lou, Inc., Shelhyville, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 231,094 3 Claims. (Cl. 13241) This invention relates to a hair curler, and has particular reference to that type of curler commonly known as a brush roller.

It has been the common practice for several years to provide hair curling rollers having brushes on which strands of hair are wound, and more recently such rollers have been provided with bails which are snapped in position with the arms of the bails on opposite sides of the roller to hold the hair wound on the roller. Such type of brush roller is commonly provided with a coil spring to provide the roller with a degree of stilfness, and the spring is of slightly smaller diameter than the brush so that the ends of the brush project through the coils of the spring to engage the hair. A mesh body surrounds the coil spring to prevent the hair from pulling downwardly through the bristles between the coils of the spring.

In the manufacture of such devices it has been found that the springs vary appreciably in length. For this reason it is not practical to have bail support attached to the ends of the coil spring. Because of the variation in the lengths of the springs, the bail usually i too short or too long to be clamped in position, the springs very seldom being of the proper length.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a brush roller of the type referred to having novel means associated with the bail for attaching it to the device so that the proper operation of the bail is not affected by variations in the lengths of the coil springs.

A further object is to provide such a device having novel means at opposite ends for pivoting the bail and latching it relative to the device, such means serving to support the brush unit, the coil spring of which may vary within reasonable limits without affecting the means for supporting the bail.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide two end elements to one of which the bail is pivotally connected and to the other of which the opposite end of the bail is latched, and to support such end elements by engagement thereof with the wire center structure forming a part of the brush element.

A further object is to utilize the end elements referred to for generally supporting the brush element at a proper position endwise of the device and for generally centering the coil spring.

A further object is to provide such a device the elements of which may be quickly and accurately assembled and wherein the device is efficient in operation with the bail always of a proper length relative to the end elements referred to so that it may be moved to closed position and snapped in such position after a strand of hair has been wound on the roller.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing I have shown two embodiments of the invention. In this showing FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one form of the device assembled;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged axial sectional view through the device taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, a portion being broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 33 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the left-hand end of FIGURE 2, showing a modified form of the device.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIG- URES 1 and 2, the numerals 10 and 11 designate a pair of ferrules the former of which has a swivel connection 12 with a yoke 13, the ends of the arms of which are split as at 14. The members 10 and 11, the swivel 12 and yoke 13 are formed of plastic material having a reasonable degree of elasticity so that the head of the swivel 12 may be forced through the opening 15 in the yoke 13 and so that opposite sides of the splits 14 may be spread to receive the cross member 16 of a preferably plastic yoke 17 further referred to below.

The ferrules 10 and 11 are drilled as at 20 to receive the bare ends of a twisted wire body 21 which carries radially extending bristles 22 between the ferrules 10 and 11. The bare ends of the wire body 21 fit snugly in the drill openings 20, being held in position preferably by friction. However, an adhesive may be employed for holding the wire ends 21 in the ferrules.

It will be noted that the drilled openings 20 may be longer than the portions of the wire body 21 inserted therein to allow some leeway in the assembly of the parts. The ferrules may be assembled, if desired, in a suitable jig so that the remote ends thereof will be properly spaced for a reason which will become apparent.

The extremities of the bristle portions of the brush lie against the inner ends of the ferrules 10 and 11. To lend suitable body to the brush unit, a coiled spring 24 surrounds the axis of the wire body 21 and is of a diameter somewhat smaller than the diameter of the bristle portion of the brush so that the individual bristles project through the coils of the spring. The end of the coil surrounds the ferrules 10 and 11 as shown in FIGURE 2, but need not grip the ferrules. Being reasonably close to the outer surfaces of the ferrules the latter will tend to center the spring substantially coaxial with the brush. Since the bristles project through the coils of the spring, the latter positions the coil endwise of the device.

The ferrule 11 is provided in its exposed end with an opening 28 to receive a positioning finger 29 carried by a preferably molded integral cross member 30 of the hail, the latter being provided with parallel side arm 31 spaced from the brush as shown in FIGURE 1. The finger 29 is flexible and to facilitate its bending out of the opening 28 when the bail is to be released, the cross member 30 is provided with outwardly extending preferably integral finger piece 32.

To prevent the hairs of the strand from being pulled downwardly between the coils of the spring 24, a meshed member 35 is wrapped around the coils of the spring 24, the bristles of the brush projecting outwardly beyond the meshed member as shown.

The ferrules 10 and 11 are provided in their peripheral portions with relatively wide, deep grooves 38 as clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. These grooves are adapted to perform two functions, namely, to ventilate the brush and assist in drying hair wound thereon, and to provide for entry of one prong of each of a number of bobby pins, if these are used to assist in holding the device on the head of the user.

The form of the device shown in FIGURE 4 is identical with that previously described, except for the elimination of the swivel connection between the ferrule 10 and cross member 15. The same numerals are employed in FIG- URE 4 to designate parts identical to those described. In the modified form of the invention arms 40, similar to the arms 13 and positioned in the same manner in spaced relation to each other, are preferably molded integral with the ferrule 10. The arms 40 are possessed of some degree of resiliency and are split as at 41 to provide for separating of the ends of the arms 40 to receive the cross member 16 of the bail 17.

Operation As previously stated, the remote ends of the ferrules and 11 are spaced apart a predetermined distance so that the structure within the bail 17 is never too long or too short. The length of the spring 24 may vary, and any difference in length will be accommodated within the limits of the lengths of the ferrules 10 and 11. It will be apparent from FIGURE 2 that the length of the spring may vary considerably while the distance between the remote ends of the ferrules 10 and 11 remains constant. The positioning of the ferrules is maintained by the frictional engagement of the ends of the wire body 21 in the openings 20, although adhesive may be applied to the ends of the wire body, as described.

In the use of the device the finger piece 32 is pulled upwardly or downwardly in FIGURE 2 to flex the finger 29 out of the opening 28. The bail then may be swung to a position projecting endwise away from the ferrule 10. The user then may hold the brush unit against rotation; brush downwardly toward the end of a strand of hair, and then rotate the brush to wind the hair into a curl in accordance with the usual practice. Once the rolling of the hair strand has been started, the user, if desired, may support the roll by the bail, holding the latter at one end while rotating the brush unit with the other hand. When the curl has been rolled tightly up to the users head, the bail will be swung back to closed position. The finger 29 will be flexed as it moves over the free end of the ferrule 11, and will snap into the opening 28 to be held in latched position. Before the bail is closed, it may be rotated on the swivel 12 to any position so that the bars or side arms 31 will not bear against the scalp of the user.

As previously stated, the grooves 38 will ventilate the brush to facilitate the drying of the curl from within. If desired, a bobby pin may have one prong inserted through one of the grooves 38 with the other prong lying outwardly of and in engagement with the outer surface of the curl to assist in preventing unwinding of the curl. Any number of bobby pins may be similarly employed with others of the grooves 38.

The device may be readily, quickly and accurately assembled. With the parts of a brush unit assembled, the wire ends 21 may be inserted in the opening 20, whereupon the assembled brush unit may be placed in a suitable jig, or other means to predetermine the spacing of the remote ends of the ferrules 10 and 11, according to length of the bail 17. In thus assembling the parts, the ends of the coil spring 24 will move free over the ferrules 10 and 11 without any binding action with respect thereto. The

spring preferably does not assist in positioning the ferrules 10 and 11, these elements being held in position by their engagement with the wire ends 21, as stated. The projection of the numerous bristles through the coils of the spring effectively hold the spring against endwise movement relative to the ferrules 10 and 11. These ferrules are preferably only slightly smaller in diameter than the internal diameter of the spring, and accordingly they position the spring radially of the ferrules to maintain the spring substantially accurately positioned concentric with the brush.

In the form of the invention in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the swivel 12 is forced through the opening 15 of the yoke after the rush unit has been assembled. The cross member 16 is then forced in the splits 14 to be properly positioned relative to the arms 13. The latter operation also is performed with the device shown in FIGURE 4, the swivel being eliminated together with assembly step referred to above, as described.

The device automatically compensates for substantial variations which occur in the manufacture of the springs employed with the device. The Wire brush body 21 is cut reasonably accurately to length and any compensation for slight variations in the lengths of the wire bodies 21 easily may be provided by making the openings 20 of an axial length slightly greater than the lengths of the projecting portions of the wire body 21.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that the various changes in the shape, size and arrangements of parts may be made as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair curler comprising a pair of coaxial spaced ferrules, a brush element between said ferrules having bristles with an axial body with ends projecting beyond said bristles at opposite ends of said brush element, each ferrule being provided with an axial opening frictionally receiving a projecting end of said axial body to fix said brush element and said ferrules together with the remote ends of said ferrules a predetermined distance apart, a coil spring coaxial with said brush and of smaller diameter than said bristles so that the end of said bristles project through and beyond the coils of said spring, the ends of said coil spring extending longitudinally beyond said bristles and loosely surrounding said ferrules, whereby said coil spring is maintained in position longitudinally of the curler solely by engagement of said bristles with the coils of said spring, a bail having side arms and cross members at the ends thereof, and bail supporting means carried by one of said ferrules axially outwardly thereof, one of said cross members being pivotally connected to said bail supporting means and the other cross member being detachably connected to the other ferrule.

2. A hair curler according to claim 1 wherein said openings face toward each other, said openings receiving said projecting ends and being of lengths greater than such ends to accommodate brush bodies of varying lengths while maintaining said predetermined distance between the remote ends of said ferrules.

3. A hair curler comprising a pair of spaced coaxial ferrules, a brush unit comprising radial bristles and an axial body carrying said bristles and projecting therebeyond axially thereof, each of said ferrules provided in its inner end with an axial opening frictionally receiving the projecting portions of said body to fix the latter to said ferrules with the remote ends of said ferrules spaced apart a predetermined distance, a coil spring of smaller diameter than said brush unit whereby said bristles project through and beyond the coils of said spring, the ends of said spring extending longitudinally beyond said bristles and loosely surrounding said ferrules, whereby said coil spring is maintained in position longitudinally of the curler solely by engagement of said bristles with the coils of said spring, an axial stud carried by one of said ferrules axially outwardly of said brush unit, a swivel pivoted on said stud, and a bail pivotally connected at one end to said swivel transversely of the axis of said ferrules, and having its other end detachably engageable with the other ferrule.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 13,442 7/1912 Davis 13241 X 2,135,612 11/1938 Bowyer 132-33 2,258,920 10/1941 Yates 132--4l 2,625,940 l/1953 Carper 13241 2,937,649 5/1960 Gresham et al 13241 3,050,070 8/1962 Sidelman 132-39 3,073,318 1/1963 Catania 132 1 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HAIR CURLER COMPRISING A PAIR OF COAXIAL SPACED FERRULES, A BRUSH ELEMENT BETWEEN SAID FERRULES HAVING BRISTLES WITH AN AXIAL BODY WITH ENDS PROJECTING BEYOND SAID BRISTLES AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BRUSH ELEMENT, EACH FERRULE BEING PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL OPENING FRICTIONALLY RECEIVING A PROJECTING END OF SAID AXIAL BODY TO FIX SAID BRUSH ELEMENT AND SAID FERRULES TOGETHER WITH THE REMOTE ENDS OF SAID FERRULES A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE APART, A COIL SPRING COAXIAL WITH SAID BRUSH AND OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID BRISTLES SO THAT THE END OF SAID BRISTLES PROJECT THROUGH AND BEYOND THE COILS OF SAID SPRING, THE ENDS OF SAID COIL SPRING EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BEYOND SAID BRISTLES AND LOOSELY SURROUNDING SAID FERRULES, WHEREBY SAID COIL SPRING IS MAINTAINED IN POSITION LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CURLER SOLEY BY ENGAGEMENT OF SAID BRISTLES WITH THE COILS OF SAID SPRING, A BAIL HAVING SIDE ARMS AND CROSS MEMBERS AT THE ENDS THEREOF, AND BAIL SUPPORTING MEANS CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID FERRULES AXIALLY OUTWARDLY THEROF, ONE OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BAIL SUPPORTING MEANS AND THE OTHER CROSS MEMBER BEING DETCHABLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER FERRULE. 